The Fleming Fund Country Grant for Nepal, implemented in 2018, has strengthened Nepal’s capacity to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through a comprehensive One Health approach that encompasses the human, animal, food and environmental sectors. Supported by the UK Department of Health and Social Care, the grant addresses this significant global health threat by enhancing surveillance systems for AMR, antimicrobial use (AMU) and antimicrobial consumption (AMC) and has facilitated the establishment of crucial governance structures, such as the National Technical Working Committee and seven technical working groups across a variety of sectors.
The central achievement under phase one (2018–2023) was establishing and strengthening AMR/U/C surveillance systems in the human health, animal health and food sectors, including improvements to microbiology laboratories that ensured compliance with standards. In Phase two (January 2024–December 2025) of the grant, FHI 360 will focus on the quality of the data generated and analyzed in phase one and determine their optimal use. Sustainability of the efforts will be the main aim, along with a cost-output analysis of the AMR surveillance system and gender and equity aspects of the program. Efforts will continue through the One Health multi-domain approach to tackle the complex challenges posed by AMR, concentrating on collaborative synergies, capacity enrichment and data-centric strategies that reinforce evidence-based decision-making.